


Imprint

by melonbutterfly



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: kink_bingo, Established Relationship, M/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-13
Updated: 2010-06-13
Packaged: 2017-10-13 00:12:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/130691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melonbutterfly/pseuds/melonbutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They have this ritual - before Castiel gets a new one, they recapitulate his old tattoos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Imprint

  
"What does this one mean?", Dean asks, brushing his lips over a short string of letters in a script he can't identify on Castiel's left shoulder. It's where he's decided to start his slow exploration of the colours on Castiel's body that intrigue him so; it's where he always starts.

"Evaṃ mayā śrutam," Castiel says almost dreamily. "It's Sanskrit and means 'thus have I heard'. Many buddhist sutras begin with these words. I got it at Wat Bang Phra, the annual tattoo festival of the Theravada temple, near Bangkok. Thirteen years ago. I was fourteen."

They're both naked; they always are when they do this. The sun's warm on their skin, and really, it was Castiel's to date best idea ever to put the bed out into their backyard in the summer.

"Hm," Dean makes and kisses his way over to a relatively small symbol in the dip of Castiel's collarbone, right beneath his carotid artery. "This one?"

"Your name in bindrunes. The D stands for dagaz which means day, light, breakthrough, and success; E stands for eihwaz and means horse, movement, and movement of the sun. A stands for ansuz, which stands for rapids and waterfalls and also Aesir, the chief of the gods in ancient Scandinavia. N stands for nauthiz, which means need and misery. I got it from Bobby three years ago." Castiel stretches lazily, and Dean continues down to his left nipple, surrounded by a nine-pointed star.

"The enneagram, standing for the nine gifts of the spirit: love, happiness, peace, patience, leniency, benevolence, loyalty, humbleness, and temperance," Castiel explains without prompting this time. "Munich, nine years ago."

A hummingbird, on Castiel's sternum. "Love, joy and beauty," Castiel murmurs, one hand on Dean's neck, staring into the blue blue sky. "Amsterdam, four years ago."

Above his hipbone, a dragonfly. "LA. Prosperity, good luck, strength, peace, harmony, purity. Two years ago."

"Your name, in arabic. Eleven months ago, Aswan." Curled around Castiel's thigh.

At that point, Castiel turns on his stomach, and Dean brushes his lips over the curve of his bottom and upwards, to his right kidney, above which rests a single feather. "Five years ago," Castiel mumbles into his folded arms. "Ma'at weighs your heart against a feather to determine your worthiness. Also wisdom, charity, faith, hope." When he teasingly doesn't continue, Dean licks over the feather, and Castiel sighs and finishes. "Flight and fall, both gifts you gave me. Hawaii, five years ago."

He moves up Castiel's spine and kisses the ink on his shoulder, swirling in circles. "Aztec symbol of creation, standing for Creation, Vitality, Life, Cosmos, Order. Six years ago, Puerto Limòn."

Then, uncurling Castiel's right arm, on his biceps; "Celtic Tree of Life, symbolising the connection between heaven and earth. Eleven years ago, Osaka."

Down the soft flesh of Castiel's inner elbow to the delicate inside of his wrist. "Your name in Cyrillic. Talinn, eight years ago."

With a sigh, Dean pulls back and let's Castiel turn around again before he settles on his chest, looks up at him. "That's the story your body tells." He has tattooed about half of it, was there for all but two; two thirds of them also refer to him. He's under Castiel's skin, literally; has been printed there by them both. It fills him with a deep sense of satisfaction. Nobody will ever touch Castiel like he does.

"Until now," Castiel murmurs, eyes in the sky again. He's going to get another one as soon as Dean gets up and picks up the tray with the kit and everything else they need that they have brought. An hourglass, a small one, on his neck. What Castiel wants, Castiel gets.

"Until now," Dean repeats, and Castiel sighs and rests his hand warmly between Dean's shoulderblades. " _To see a world in a grain of sand, – And a heaven in a wild flower, – Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, – And eternity in an hour,_ " he quotes, and Dean closes his eyes.

  
*William Blake - Auguries of Innocence


End file.
